Barnes and Noble (Nationwide)

My all-time favorite book store would have to be Barnes and Noble! They have GREAT customer service and never disappoint. Every time that I go I always find the book that I am looking for and then some. They have the best selection of books there and I find that whenever I'm bored I want to go to Barnes and Nobles, (it helps that there is a cafe there too!!). Another thing that I love there are the things other than books like high quality pop-up cards, fountain pens, journals, calendars, and stationary. I have an obsession with fountain pens and this is the only place that I go to get them! All in all, Barnes and Nobles have stolen my heart from day one. LONG LIVE BARNES AND NOBLES!!!! :D

We visit the store in Orange, CT. The staff is friendly and helpful. Of course, they're not going to remember our names, but they do recognize us by sight. I've used the online site on several occasions without a problem, and like the fact that I can reserve a book at the store through the website. Why would people say they're overpriced? They charge the book list price that's on the cover. If you want a discount, go to Costco or BJs, but you won't find the selection and you definitely need to spend $35 for a membership card. Of course, Amazon, BetterWorld Books, or ebay are all good options, but if you're like my husband, who doesn't care for online shopping, it's worth the full price. Then again, just use the public library if money is an issue, like it is to most people. I don't care for the toy section, it doesn't belong in a bookstore. That's not going to encourage them to read, even if they are educational. Since they added toys to the store, it has been more bu... Read more

The bargain section is awesome, otherwise, a bit steep for me. I do like the atmosphere though. I've never ordered on line, basically because I'm too cheap to pay for shipping. No complaints about customer service, though.

As an avid book reader, I can't tell you how many books I've purchased from Barnes and Noble. They say with quantity, I will eventually have a bad experience. I have never had a bad experience with Barnes and Noble. Every single book they have delivered to me has been on time and in perfect condition.

I ordered a Nook 3G online. I received it and used it for about 4 days and then it crapped out. It wouldn't load the keyboard in the bottom window. Called B&N and they said they would replace it. BTW, they said I could get it via express shipping in 3-5 business days or would have to wait 3 weeks. This is important as you keep reading below. I told them since I ordered the original for express shipping, I think I should get express shipping without having to pay for it. They said ok. They got that right and I received the replacement in about 4 days . Except the replacement was a used one - 'Certified Preowned' they call it. I called them up and said I wanted a new one because that is what I bought. The first person I tried to talk to hung up on me. Called back and the second person said they couldn't send me a new one. It wasn't their policy. I said then I wanted to send this one back and get a refund. They said they couldn't do that because it was a used one! This is... Read more

wow maybe barnes and noble should be checking out the reviews here! I ordered some books that somehow got shipped back and i was fine with it even when i found out it would be weeks before their warehouse would get to it. I went ahead reordered after being reassured i would get a refund. That was months ago and after many phone calls and many runarounds i gave up. what could i do? except i will never in this lifetime be a customer again and i will suggest to anyone else to go somewhere else. the customer service in their store sucks and most are incompetent.

i qualified for "free delivery" because of the purchase amount. delivery takes 10 days (!!!) (according to their tracking info) and it was supposed to be a present. i can not believe it. i always use Amazon, should have used it this time as well. it was a dumm idea..

I'm not too picky when it comes to book stores. They have a decent selection, and while their prices on newer books are nothings special, their classics are available for a bargain. But it looks like they aren't doing too well. http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/110381/clearance-sale-barnes-noble-didnt-evolve-enough?mod=career-leadership UPDATE: I changed my mind. I went into a Barnes and Noble yesterday because I had $35 worth of gift cards, and I wanted to spend it in case they go out of business. I still have my gift cards. There were a couple of books I thought about buying, but nothing that I really wanted. They didn't have the one book I specifically wanted, and it's a relatively new book. Apparently once they sold out, they didn't feel the need to restock. Their classics selection has dwindled drastically in just the last few months. They used to have a large selection just as you walked in the door. They've now reduced it to one book case that they hide behind th... Read more

I dislike mega-bookstores in general, but have reluctantly come to accept that they are a reality, and the small and dwindling number of independent book stores are treasures to be savored while they last. The problem with Barnes and Noble, like all the other big box bookstores, is that they have reduced books to a commodity, and little more than that. I'm not going to bewail the effect they have had on destroying the independent bookstore, but I am very distressed at their effect on the publishing industry. It is not particularly well understood that the mega-bookstores demand special and favorable terms from publishers, or they will not buy. This includes extra long return dates, very long billable periods and the like. This puts a strain on many small publishers, and some have gone under because of it. The result is that fewer books of eclectic or local interest can find publishers, leading to the continuing homogenization of the industry. So while I'd rather buy a book from... Read more

I never write stuff like this, but I am disgusted with the "customer service" I received on my last visit. I was treated like a potential criminal trying to pull something over on them, when in reality I was returning books past the 14 day period. The books were in perfect condition with a receipt, by the way. I have shopped there for about 15 years, and I will never go back. They are quick to take your money and charge too much, but flexibility on the return policy....gasp! It simply can't be done. Give me a break. I'm returning books, here, not perishable items.

They have a nice bargain section,but they SUCK otherwise.I'd rather buy my books at a used book store or from Amazon.B&N is over-priced & they try to sell you shit you don't need.Their food is crazy expensive frozen crap heated in a micro-wave.The soup tastes OK,but for what you get it's no bargain.

Barnes and Noble is a despicable place (that is, of course, if you're an atheist). Their ethics are pretty much nonexistent, and they say that stuff that you know that they know is just not verifiable. Books are great. But most of the books they sell at Barnes and Noble says things that just isn't true. If they would burn all their books that say that stuff that I know that we know that they know that we know can't be true (because we know it) it would be a smidgen more good. Ultimately, Barnes and Noble is pretty much a religion, and that's just not something good, as we who know, know.

Barnes and Noble is overpriced to the extreme. Not only that but I have never received good customer service when I have been there. In fact, in one instance I was eyeballed and followed around the store, and when I called the sales clerk on it, he was very rude. Nothing like being accused of something you didn't do and be surrounded by snobby service when the prices are way too high. Complete fail here.

DO NOT SHOP AT BARNES AND NOBLE!BEWARE!!!! I purchased a book from them on December 13. I planned on giving it as a gift but found it $10 (half the B&N price) cheaper at amazon.com. I was going out of town and "thought" they had a holiday return policy like everyone else which gave me to the middle of January for a full refund. I thought wrong and all I got was a store credit to benefit them. The money is not the issue whatsoever it is the principle. I will not be shopping there again and plan on telling everyone I can.

Barnes & Noble shipped my order to the wrong state. Then they refused to own up to the mistake. Even when confronted with the original order info, they responded with a nonsensical reply about me trying to change the shipping address too late in the process. Huh? Nope, didn't change the shipping address. Didn't try. You just didn't send it to the right place. Nonetheless, they have no interest in fixing their mistake. Beware shopping at Barnes & Noble.com. If something goes wrong, customer services won't help you out! You are on your own.

Downright hostile to people with disabilities. Expect to be told, whether you're a customer or an employee, when you mention you have a disability that "...that's your problem..". The only expection to this rule is if you happen to be related to a manager in which case numbers and figures will be altered so you can keep your company health insurance. Otherwise you're out of luck. Changing numbers and figures is commonplace especially when it comes time for reviews and bonuses. Many an employee have been swindled out of what they deserve due to crafty managers who have no checks or balances in the corporate structure.

I frequent book stores, and although I try to help out the indies as often as I can, I enjoy B & N. I am a history buff, no surprise there for some of you, and I find many diversions and bargains there from time to time. You just have to be patient.

I think that if the local bookstore owners/managers in Saugus, MA put a little more time into their own business, and less time slandering competitors, that they would have cleaner bathrooms and would stop losing business to Barnes and Noble. OC: I do like Barnes and Noble, but I prefer Borders. Like my favorite grocery store I've developed a familiarity with Borders. Barnes and Noble though does have often times more seating available, and the greens/browns are condusive to sitting around and reading some books.

I am an avid reader and have bought several(100+) books from one particular Barnes and Noble over the last seven years. I would much rather go to borders but it is an extra 30 minute drive. Anyway, I have nothing bad to say about the service or the bathrooms like so many others. I just wanted to say something about a semi-regular event that I find quite funny. Now, even though I have bought quite a few books(I even used to have the card) I have no friends who are employees. Not even acquaintances. I don't know their names and they sure as hell don't know mine. You also have to remember that I have been in many times and not bought anything. Well, I would guess that approximately 10 times I have walked out the door and the alarm started going off. I would stop, look around for about five seconds at the dumbfounded looks on the employees faces,and walk out the door. Although I have never stolen anything from the store, even being innocent of a crime I would expect an employee or manager ... Read more

Should we go there in search of hot mamas?

Barnes and Noble on-line is just flat out awful. This is my third bad experience with them. I placed an order and took advantage of their "buy today and receive free shipping" promotion. Only after I submitted the order did I discover that all books have to be shipped at the same time. One of the books has a publication date six weeks from now, so they are holding the entire order until that book is available. They won't let me split the order or cancel it a this point. In the past, they lost my order on one occassion and shipped the wrong books on another. I've had it with them an refuse to ever buy from them again.

Four stars if they have the coffee-and-sit-down section. . .good selection of books and a safe bet for shopping for that special someone. . . But I'm sure sick of them trying to pimp their frequent-shopper card every time I pass through for holiday shopping- can I just make my purchases, pleeze?!

The conditions of the stores in the Greater Boston area are excellent breeding grounds for the Swine Flu.

Not the greatest place if you're a book lover. Stores now resemble a circus. I've made some inquiries regarding why the stores have degraded so badly. The response I got was "..why don't you shop somewhere else..". That's exactly what I did. I go to Borders, Amazon.com, independant bookstore. Anywhere but Barnes and Noble. Barnes and Noble has lost me as a customer. I share this story with all my friends and associates. They've stopped going as well. Mr. Erickson, Cambridge, MA

Stores are dirty, very unprofessional service. I've read the numerous issues customers have with this company. I've found the following site to be helpful with grievances: http://couponing.about.com/od/smorgasbord/a/gripe.h tm If you've seen this Sunday's Dilbert it will make you laugh. If you haven't, I strongly suggest you read it.

I guess a bad experience is possible with any company. Personally, I have never had anything but good experience with Barnes And Noble.

I must add my voice to the chorus of others here. My nephew worked at the Saugus, MA store for a few years. He eventually left after graduating high school. First off the employees are on a quota system to get customers to sign up for membership cards. Largely you're not going to make your money back by spending $25 USD per year for a Barnes and Noble membership. Staff members who don't meet quota qualifications are reprimanded. What others have said about the store being filthy is absolutely true. There's no janitor which amazed me considering this is a Fortune 500 company with sales in the billions. When I went into the store I would go to another store to use the facilities in fear of catching that staph bacteria that's resistant to antibotics. There's even an employee, who wears a fur coat, that keeps a journal on the stores daily activities. She's got some serious attitude. The company manifest states that staff members are not allowed to sell on eBay, Amazon or even Overstock.c... Read more

I just noticed that Barnes and Noble is laying off 100 workers. I hope one of them is their Greater Boston District Manager. The damage this person has done to Barnes and Noble in the Greater Boston area is astronomical. I won't recommend anyone to shop there anymore let alone work there after recommending someone to work there over a year ago. I didn't even get a letter of "thank you" for recommending an employee. Very unprofessional. Said employee was even management material due to management experience. It would have been nice to get a professional letter let alone something like a coupon for my efforts. After that experience I realized the level of unprofessionalism that is rampant in Barnes and Noble's business culture. I take my family and friends to Borders now even though it's inconvienent due to the fact Borders appreciates my business. Once again Barnes and Noble indicates that they are not serious about competing in the current business market. None of the positions elimi... Read more

I visit various stores in the Greater Boston area to get a better understanding of my investment. Over the past year here is what I've observed: Decrease in customer service. Increase in "attitude" toward customers as if they are an annoyance. Decrease in general store cleaniness. Increase in employee unprofessionalism. Increase in the number of times I've received cold coffee. Decrease in the number of tea bags. From two to one. Decrease in Cafe customer service and cleaniness. Increase in damaged goods. Increase in theft by employees and customers. These are just my observations. I prefer to keep any financial changes to my portfolio to myself. Thank you for your time. James Gregario, Newton, MA

I don't see why everyone is complaining about the Saugus, MA store so much. As a struggling college student, along with my buddies, we go to this store all the time to study. Instead of spending all our money on books, we just order the book we want, we read it there and then put it back on the customer service desk. This has been great for those expensive textbooks. Most of the time the staff has no clue where the books are so if you put the books back in the correct spot there's a high probablity no one will find it for months. We sit in the cafe and don't buy anything. We used to order food there, but it's full of saturated fat and the coffee is usually cold or tastes burned. We bring in our own food. No one bothers us. Sure the store is probably losing money by us just sitting there and taking up space, but no one seems to care. If we bring in our laptops, we just plug them into their electrical sockets and use up their electricity. It's not our fault they don't know how to run... Read more

Dirty stores. Horrific customer service.

I don't like Barnes n Noble....as some have said, the stores are dirty, and are pretty much an open bathroom to anybody.  They have a decent selection of books but everything is overpriced.  Probably the most stupid thing is their membership where you pay a membership fee and save a whopping 10%.

My husband I and are frequent customers of the Saugus, MA store. Unfortunately we can validate everything that is said about that store by other posters. The staff is nothing short of lazy with many of them just sitting around while customers wait for their beverage in the Cafe, or while customers stand in line waiting for some level of customer service if you can call it that. If I were the store manager or supervisor, most of the staff would be fired on the spot. I'm a former manager myself and the level of unprofessionalism is blantant on the border of arrogance. Very few of the staff have any people skills at all. You can get more help from the customers than you can from the people on the payroll. The store is also dirty including the restrooms as described by a previous poster. Inquires made to anyone in authority is generally ignored. My husband and I rarely go to this store anymore. We've tried the Peabody, MA store, but the situation is very similar if not worse. ... Read more

All I have to say is watch your children when you visit any Barnes and Noble. Pedophiles roam the book corridors. Some stores have installed video surveillance to try and combat the problem. In one case, a female employee was groped in the Cafe, in front of customers by another person. All types of sexual activity occurs in the restrooms. The men's room is well known for sexual encounters between men. Don't let your children go in alone. Drug use is also present. One customer found a crack pipe in the restrooms. Watch out for needles and drug accessories. Don't bother complaining to management about any issues you've had. They don't care and will just talk behind your back when you leave the store. I've seen it happen time and time again. Very unprofessional. Whatever you do, please, please, do not let your children out of your sight in Barnes and Noble. It's just not safe.

absymal customer service. staff stands around while customers wait in line. inability to find items for customers. Go to Amazon.com. You'll do better. Barnes and Noble doesn't seem to care. They are a dinosaur.

horrible cutsomer service, unprofessional cashiers, dirty cafes

While visiting the Barnes and Noble College Bookstore at Longwood University in Farmville Va. I was approached by the store manager and was complimented on what I was wearing. As I turned to thank him he was not engaged in a conversation with me, but only with my breast. I felt very uncomfortable and embarrassed. Told him that I thought he was very inappropriate and left the store. This is a very small town and word travels very quickly. After confiding in friends of this incident I learned that I wasn't the first person to have been sexually harassed. It would serve the store manager well to focus on doing his job and not the sexual predator of Barnes and Noble. To note, myself and other women will not return to this store,

Barnes and Noble is awful. They sell defective products and their return policy is terrible. I bought a textbook for my MBA program and it wasn't until I reached page 800 during the semester that I realized they sent me a "new" book that was missing about 50 pages. Also some pages showed up in the wrong part of the book. They would not refund or replace this item since I was beyond the 14 day return window. Clearly Barnes and Noble (bn.com) sold me a defective product and they should take some responsibility for this. Their customer service department was very rude in addressing my request. I will never buy a product from a Barnes and Noble store or online from bn.com ever. I find the service is much better at Borders or Amazon.com than taking the risk of the defective products from Barnes and Noble and their poor customer service.

I ordered a book for University and realized I had ordered the wrong book. I called within a half an hour and they would not cancel my order. So I had to wait three days for my order to be shipped. Now I am waiting for it to get here to Canada and I will have to return it express post to get a refund!?! Does this not sound totally ridiculous to any intellegent person?

I liked them until I placed an order online and made the mistake of ordering a pre-order item with some in stock one. Other bookstores websites are intelligent enough to ship you the in stock items, then wait on the pre-orders. But their poorly designed website flagged my entire order not to ship for 5 months. I called to cancel the whole order - and they told me they could only cancel the pre-order item because they other items had scheduled to ship (but not until November - this was in June). So even though I informed them on the phone I didn't want the items because they wouldn't arrive in time for father's day so I would refuse the order - they still shipped them.

Being a former employee of this corporation, I can state, for the record that this company is one of the worst to work for. Do not be deceived by first impressions, they are almost entirely false. I worked my way up from a cashier to a good management position within the firm. My achievements even earned me management of my own store.Unfortunately, I too am a victim of Ms. Nybo. I lost my job so she could save hers. Probably not uncommon in the professional workplace, but the manner on how it was done was petty and small minded.Without getting into too many details and without dragging myself down to her level, all I can say is to avoid Ms. Nybo at every opportunity. She cannot be trusted and plays "dirty pool". I am just waiting until the play plays itself out and karma comes back threefold.Best wishes to those sorry souls I left behind and worked so many hours for me. I cannot thank you enough for helping me become the best that I thought I could become.D.

I used to work there. Lousy management who hired their old "friends" for other management positions and tended to hire busty young high school girls over qualified workers. No wonder the whole store was constantly in disarray! Lousy pay, no matter how much skill you had to offer and how long you've been there. Many of the "older" employees were great on an individual basis, but working there overall is a nightmare, especially if you need a paying job. Not worth it. On top of all that is I not only witnessed firsthand the shoddy customer service, but had to take part in it. How were we supposed to locate stuff when we had little to no time to know what was where, were never briefed on new popular books except for harry potter and SOMETIMES oprah, and our computer database was lousier than trash? We couldn't even look up a book by its title alone - it would never show up. Take out a few words and it may appear, halfway down page 2 of a search. You want books fast? Go to Borders or buy on... Read more

In Rockford IL A Barnes and Noble store came to the Cherryvale Mall. As a part of their agreement with the Mall a small coffee shop that had been there for many years is being forced out. Gloria Jeans is a small operation, a counter to order at and a few coffee tea type accessories for sale. No interior seating just a good cup of joe. That is more than Barnes and Noble can tolerate, so they are being kicked out. That truly sucks, it's unfair and un-American, unless of course you support the Bush/Cheney vision of America.

First let me just say that I have placed many orders on BN.com and bought in the stores. The only reason they get 2 stars is because this is the first major screw up they have done and they at least semi resolved it after me keeping my patience and waiting on hold for while. I wanted to order HP7 and the site said order by the 16th and you'll receive your order on the 21st. BEFORE I ordered anything I went into my account and deleted all of my old addresses, since I had recently moved I wanted to make sure the book went to the right address. I verified that the only address left was the current address, THEN I went to place my order. I found my stuff (HP7 & another book) I went to check out, I only had one option for shipping and billing, my current address, so I checked it KNOWING IT WAS CORRECT. I received an email confirming my order, I checked the books to make sure they were correct and the total to make sure I wasn't charged for shipping. I didn't check the shipping address... Read more

I like Barnes and Noble I have not had any bad experiences there.  They have a nice selection of books, the only problem is that they are a little bit expensive.

Barnes and Noble has no respect for the customer. They are rude from the CEO to the head of their "customer service" department. Do not, shop there, go to Borders. B&N; needs to realize that consumers do matter!

Many of the stores are now discouraging customers from staying in their stores for any length of time. I've been asked to leave the Cafe more than a few times because I've been there longer than an hour with my children. This has happened to me three times now. As with baseball, Barnes and Noble has struck out with me. I've moved on to another store.

I was a loyal customer of Barnes and Nobles.com until I had to deal with their customer service, or lack thereof. I ordered 2 books in early January. The first order was sent to the wrong address. When I called customer service, after a lengthy wait and having to speak to several people, A manager told me that it was my fault that the books went to the wrong address and that their computer systems are in infallible. This is while the previous employee had done nothing but complain of how bad the computers and network are while we waited for 10 minutes after her computer crashed and had to be restarted. They had no problem using the correct address to charge my credit card however. I was finally told to dispute the whole thing on my credit card. They said they would then send out 2 more books to replace the ones that were lost. This replacement order was undeliverable as the tried to use their shipper(either FEDEX or UPS) to deliver to a PO Box which cannot be done. Another hour on the ... Read more